South Nias crisis for Dengue and Malaria outbreak

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – South Nias Regency, North Sumatra Province, declared an emergency for dengue hemorrhagic fever (DBD) and malaria after this outbreak hit between January and July 2024. The Regional Disaster Management Body (BPBD) of South Nias Regency listed seven affected sub-districts including Batu Islands, East Batu Islands, West Batu, North Batu Islands, Simauk, Masa Land and Hibala.

“In a period of seven months, about 562 residents have been infected,” said Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, in a written statement, Thursday, August 15, 2024.

Of this number, he said, eight died, and another 554 residents were treated and pronounced cured of the malaria outbreak.

The Nias South Regency Government then announced the Emergency Response Status for Unnatural Disasters Special Events Malaria and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever with Number 100.3.3.2/639/2024 for 14 days until 23 August 2024.

In addition to establishing a state of emergency, the Regent of South Nias also established a Management System for Emergency Management of Unnatural Disasters, Malaria and Dengue Fever Special Events, which was established through letter number 100.3.3.2/646/2024 on August 9. 2024.

Based on this decision, elements of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) throughout the South Nias Regency regularly conduct rapid assessment and evaluation efforts in places that are red zones for these two diseases to break

“South Nias Regency BPBD continues to coordinate with the local Health Service to take strategic and integrated measures,” said Abdul Muhari.

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Nias South Health Service has also published the status of extraordinary events and treated patients through health service centres. The sub-district government along with the Regional Leadership Conference also strongly encourages cooperation in environmental cleanup as a form of mitigation and anticipation.

“Currently, the outbreak of the disease caused by the protozoan parasite which is transmitted through the bite of Aedes aegypti and Anopheles mosquitoes is still stalking most of the people of South Nias,” said Muhari .

The issue of going out, which is included in the non-natural disaster category according to Law Number 24 of 2007, is indeed a threat in other parts of the country. Indonesia contributes the second highest number of malaria cases in Asia, after India. Indonesia recorded about 811,636 positive cases in 2021, according to data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

Indonesia is also one of the nine malaria endemic countries in the Southeast Asian region which contributes about 2 percent of the country’s global malaria burden.

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